You use the normal amount of base color and add 50% of the colorant. So, if your base is white, the other 50% is white. It makes a softer version of the original shade.

Paint formulas start out as a base, and drops of color tint are added. A 50% formula means only half as many drops of each color are added. For practical purposes, the other half could be construed as "white", but tint bases are not truly pure white.
(x)% formulas are often used for ceilings in a room, to add some contrast, without going to a white ceiling.

What's the advantage of this over moving up the color card to a lighter color? Seems like with a % there is the wildcard of what the base brings to the table in terms of color affecting the final appearance, especially with the medium/dark bases.

I've often wondered about this too!

I think one advantage is it's a very simple way for a designer, or owner, to "lighten up" or soften a color they want, keeping the same name. Also, the formulas which for the most part are computer processed, are pretty much standardly cross referenced among most brands, should one happen to choose a color in one brand, but prefer the paint qualities of another.

Williamsem,

I'm sure other, more knowlegeable paint people will chime in here soon, but til then, here's my answer: It all depends. ;-).

1) Sometimes, moving up on the paint card works just fine

2) On other occasions, I had better luck using 50-75% formula

3) Still other times, adding white to my original sample color until I achieved the desired color was more satisfactory. (I'd then just bring a paint swatch of the newly obtained color to my local SW, where they do a fantastic job color-matching. )

Sometimes, when I simply move up on the color card, it ends up having a slightly different undertone than my original choice

Hope you can glean some kernel of wisdom from that wishy-washy answer!

Wouldn't it be easier to look it up in the encycolorpedia and just match the lighter shade by color code? It gives gradients from your color to white and black. Wouldn't any tint in the color base be more prominent at 50%?

I find color to be the hardest part of remodeling/decorating. I'm not good with undertones most of the time, and I'd love to be able to go lighter/darker with confidence.

I'm hoping if I can figure out what all the stuff on the encycolorpedia page means I'll understand color a bit better. I found it by accident looking for a paint pic I could save (didnt find one, but this is cool too).

Here is a link that might be useful: Encycolorpedia

I was told something similar to what 2LF just said. My color consultant told me that shades on a color card are not shades of the deepest color on the card with progressively less color added to them as you go towards the lightest color. IOW, the lightest color isn't just the darkest color shade with more white added to it. The colors on a card are simply complimentary to each other. Sometimes the undertones are a bit different if you look closely.

I view trying a named color at 50% (or 75% or 150%) of that color as just another color to try out on the way to finding the right one.

Looking at it from the other end, i.e. the color. I have Yarmouth Blue on the walls and 25% (i.e. 75% white added) on the ceiling. It's very pretty but definitely a very different color, i.e. not the same as YB but lighter. Rather, it reads quite a bit grayer than YB.

White is cool so if you are starting with a warm color (even a warm blue) and reduce pigment, thereby raising the relative proportion of white, you will be slightly cooling down the color. You are changing the chroma, not just making it less saturated.

Wow, this is making sense to me. Thanks to you all for helping.

Let me see if I have this straight.
1. the three colors on the card have different colors. I thought they were just lighter or darker.....now I know they are just complementary. I think that is why I keep choosing the wrong paint color.

2. If I choose a paint color, but it is too dark, I should try only 75% of the tint to go lighter or 50% to go even more lighter. If I need a color darker I would ask for 125% or 150%.

I got lost on the last thing Sayde wrote. "thereby raising the relative proportion of white." That one went over my head.

I can see why I was having so much trouble choosing a paint color. I could open a sample store with all the samples I have bought.....but it beats buying a gallon of a color that I don't like.

I am also having trouble with morning paint colors vs what they look like in different light....at night. They are so different. If I like the daytime color, I don't like the night time color and vice versa.

I have to choose a paint color soon. My daughter's wedding is in October.
Peke

Funcolors over in Paint says that changing the percentage of the pigments does not result in a lighter shade of the same color, for various reasons.

How colors are laid out on a card varies by manufacturer, even their own lines. Some are a progression, others not. I would imagine some look like a progression but technically adjustments have been made to make it work that way, so be careful asking if they arrive there by "percentages". You might get a "no" but the results are intended to be so.

Thanks to this thread I asked for 75% color last weekend when I found a grey I liked except that it was a bit too dark. The result was exactly what I was hoping for, and it was easier than trying to find the perfect color on the fan. Thanks!

My bedroom walls are a soft sage (BM Camouflage). On the same color card, at the top, is Breezy's cabinet paint (BM Simple White). Not remotely a lighter version of sage green.

I think the cards are just colors that work well together or are a similar type of color. I wouldn't worry about how they got there.

But it is very useful to know about altering the amount of pigment. A lot of people find success with it. You can also increase, for example, try 125 or 150 percent.

This post was edited by snookums2 on Tue, Aug 27, 13 at 12:57

I am going to try using a percentage on my next sample of paint. Peke

I have found reading over the comments very interesting. That said, when wanting to reduce a colour to lets say 50%; the terminology that I have always used is "half cut" which has always proven to be feasible regardless of what type of brand I was using. ( 25% would be "one quarter cut" and 75% would be "three quarters cut".) My first experience in doing so was when painting a nursery for one of my grandchildren that consisted of six different colours for an accent wall that was done in a colour block format (white, yellow, blue, mauve, pink, green) where I choose the neutral gender green to be 'half cut' for the remaining other three walls which saved a lot aggravation of trying to co-ordinate or introducing another colour.

Color selection and matching is an art. Many paint stores hire "paint dispenser people" with no color, art, or design background. Design stores hire at least one "colorist" person with knowledge of color and color design. With this knowledge, they can help you better choose colors and color schemes that fit well and meet your likes. The premium design stores have paint studios where the colorist and paint dispenser person have experience with art, color, architecture, and blending techniques. Some even have years of painting experience. Keep looking until you find one of these and you will not want to go back to where they do not exist or have little real color education. This type usually carries higher end true "designer paints" e.g., Fine Paints of Europe, Farrow & Ball, and C2. These paints use colorant from Holland and pigment is much more finely ground. C2 does not start with black when creating colorant. Most economy paints who do, provide fan decks with the specific color and lighter and lighter variants of the same color. They do this easily, because they created their color by adding other colors to black. A much cheaper way to make paint. It is a major detriment to the paint color duration and cover ability and is far from a benefit. Mid level paints e.g., Benjamin Moore and Sherman Williams are good for do it yourselfer homeowners who do not need color design or the benefits and beauty of truly fine paints, color schemes, magic leveling, and super longevity and endurance. Not to mention fabulace glass like, piano smooth, no brush mark looks. Sub level box store paints don't even try to address color design or the benefits of finely ground pigments. Their paints are sub standard, but provide low cost paint to people who may not afford the fine designer paints. Making 50% of a color can be done several ways. You can raise the amount of white, reduce the drops of colorant, or change the ratio of base white to color. The problem is that not all paint stores do this the same way, AND not all colors use the same color base. Darker colors use darker bases. If you use a 50% scheme, stick to the store you got it from when you need more of it and hope the same employee is still there. Playing with the 50% wild card is not a good idea if you want consistency when buying that mix. Try a better design and paint store and stay away from areas that can get you in trouble.

"I was told something similar to what 2LF just said. My color consultant
told me that shades on a color card are not shades of the deepest color
on the card with progressively less color added to them as you go
towards the lightest color. IOW, the lightest color isn't just the
darkest color shade with more white added to it. The colors on a card
are simply complimentary to each other. Sometimes the undertones are a
bit different if you look closely."

No, no clue as to what the term complimentary means when discussing color. It has a technical meaning; the color wheel is arrayed with complimentary colors directly opposite one another. red/green; blue/orange, etc.

You can dull a bright color pretty quickly by mixing in a small amount of its compliment.

Casey

@ Sombreuil- if you're going to correct someone on the use of complimentary at least get the word right yourself. The word is complementary. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complementary_colors

merrymissmary why "correct" someone's grammar on a 6 year old post? And why did the 6 year old post up for just that reason?

7 years old...and my laptop changes the spelling of words all the time. I turn off spell check, and it come back. Evidently, I am doing it wrong. But, I am with millworkman...why bother to answer just to correct someone?